NEW DELHI: India pacer Gurnoor Brar credited the guidance and support of senior players Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill after delivering a match-winning performance in India’s narrow four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the rain-affected second ODI. Brar, who picked up a career-best four wickets for 30 runs, played a crucial role in restricting the visitors to just 134 runs in 41 overs.Speaking after receiving the Player of the Match award, Brar explained that his bowling approach was built around discipline, consistency and trusting his abilities. He revealed that the plan was to focus on hitting the right lengths before using his bouncers at the appropriate moments.“My plan was simple – to hit my lengths and back my skills. Every day is a learning opportunity, and I want to keep improving and adapting. I was looking to bowl fuller initially and then use the bouncer at the right moment,” Brar told the reporters.The young fast bowler also highlighted the importance of backing players, particularly when conditions or performances do not go their way. According to Brar, the Indian team management continued to show confidence in the bowling unit even on flat Indian pitches, encouraging the pacers to trust their skills and bowl with freedom.“Backing is very important for every player. There were flat tracks in India, but we were backed there too by the management. They asked me to back my lengths and told me to bowl with freedom,” he added.Brar was particularly appreciative of captain Shubman Gill’s leadership and his approach towards supporting teammates. He pointed out that Gill does not judge players solely on individual performances and remains focused on getting the best out of the entire group.“Shubman Gill backs everyone and doesn’t judge them by their performances. He himself has hunger for both himself and the team,” Brar said.The pacer also opened up about the difficult experiences he faced during the matches in Guwahati and at Lord’s, admitting that those outings were demotivating. However, he viewed them as important learning experiences that helped him understand the demands of international cricket.Brar revealed that he benefited considerably from spending time with senior Indian batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during open-net sessions. Their advice, along with Gill’s inputs, helped him work on different aspects of his bowling and improve his understanding of the game.“Matches in Guwahati and Lord’s were demotivating, but it was important to learn from those experiences. I had open nets with Virat and Rohit bhai, and they gave me a lot of inputs. Shubman also guided me,” he explained.
‘I learnt a lot from Umesh Yadav paaji’: Gurnoor Brar
He further credited his Ranji Trophy experience and the guidance of senior fast bowler Umesh Yadav for helping him develop consistency. Brar revealed that observing Yadav’s ability to repeatedly hit the right areas encouraged him to seek advice about maintaining accurate lengths.“I also played the Ranji Trophy, and those overs helped me. I learnt a lot from Umesh Yadav paaji. He took a five-wicket haul in the first match, and I observed how consistently he could hit his lengths. I asked him about it, and he gave me a lot of inputs,” Brar added.Brar’s performance proved decisive in the contest as he dismantled New Zealand’s middle order with well-directed short-pitched deliveries. He dismissed Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips in a double-wicket maiden, leaving the visitors struggling at 53 for five.With Auqib Nabi claiming two wickets for 31 runs and Anshul Kamboj returning figures of two for 25, India’s young pace attack bundled New Zealand out for 134. The bowlers also delivered an impressive 176 dot balls, putting the opposition under sustained pressure.However, India’s chase was far from comfortable. The hosts lost wickets at regular intervals, with Gill, Kohli and Rohit among the early dismissals. At 113 for seven after 26 overs, India were facing a challenging situation when rain interrupted play.KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 26, ensuring India were ahead of the required Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score of 109 when the match was eventually called off. The four-wicket victory gave India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, with Brar’s breakthrough performance and the team’s collective effort emerging as major talking points.